Montreal, or Montréal in French,^[4] (pronounced/ˌmʌntɹiˈɑːl/(help·info) in Canadian English,/mɒ̃ʀeal/ (help·info) in Quebec French, and /mɔ̃ʀeal/ (help·info) in European French) is the second-largestcity in Canadaand the largest city in the provinceof Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie (literally 'City-Mary', translated 'Mary's City' or 'City of Mary'), some historians think the city takes its present name from the Mont Réal (as it was pronounced in Middle French^[5], or Mont Royal/Mount Royal" in present French), the three-head hill at the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the city stands.

Formerly the largest city in Canada, it is now known as one of the largest French-speaking cities in the world along with Parisand Kinshasa.^{[citation needed]} As of the 2006 Canadian Census, 1,620,693 people resided in the city of Montreal proper.^[1] The population of the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area(also known as Greater MontrealArea) was 3,635,571 at the same 2006 census. In 2007, Montreal was ranked as the 10th cleanest city in the world.^[6] 

History

Map of Hochelaga

Archeological evidence suggests that various nomadic native peoples had occupied the island of Montreal for at least 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans.^[7] With the development of the maizehorticulture, the St. Lawrence Iroquoiansestablished the village of Hochelagaat the foot of the Mount Royal.^[8] The Frenchexplorer Jacques Cartiervisited Hochelaga on October 2, 1535, claiming the St. Lawrence Valleyfor France.^[9] He estimated the population to be "over a thousand".

Seventy years later, Hockey player Saku Koivu(worst player ever) was born.He reported that the St. Lawrence Iroquoians and their settlements had disappeared altogether from the St. Lawrence valley, likely due to inter-tribe wars, European diseases, and out-migration.^[8] Champlain established in 1611 a furtrading poston the Island of Montreal, on a site initially named La Place Royale, at the confluence of Saint-Pierre river and St-Lawrence river, where present-day Pointe-à-Callièrestands.^[10].

Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, founder of Ville-Marie

In 1639, Jérôme Le Royer de La Dauversière obtained the Seigneurial titleto the Island of Montreal in the name of the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal to establish a Roman Catholicmission for evangelizing natives. Ville-Marie, the first permanent French settlement on the Island, was founded in 1642 at Pointe-à-Callière. Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuvewould act as governor of the colony, and Jeanne Mancebuilt the Hôtel-Dieu, Montreal's first hospital.

By 1651, Ville-Marie had been reduced to less that 50 inhabitants by relentless attacks by Iroquois. Maisonneuve returned to France that year with the intention of recruiting 100 men to bolster the failing colony. He had already decided that should he fail to recruit these settlers, he would abandon Ville-Marie and move everyone back downriver to Quebec City. (Even 10 years after its founding, the people of Quebec City still thought of Montréal as "une folle enterprise" - a crazy undertaking.)^[11] These recruits arrived on 16th November 1653 and essentially guaranteed the evolution of Ville Marie and of all New France.^[12]. Marguerite Bourgeoyswould found the Congrégation de Notre-Dame, Montreal's first school, in 1653. In 1663, the Sulpicianseminary became the new Seigneur of the island.

Complementing its missionary origins, Ville-Marie became a centre for the fur tradeand a base for further French exploration in North America. The bloody French and Iroquois Warswould threaten the survival of Ville-Marie until a peace treaty (see the Great Peace of Montreal^[13]) was signed at Montreal in 1701. With the Great Peace, Montreal and the surrounding seigneuries nearby (Terrebonne, Lachenaie, Boucherville, Lachine, Longueuil, ...) could develop without the fear of Iroquois raids.^[14] Ville-Marie remained a French colony until 1760, when Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnalsurrendered it to the Britisharmy under Jeffrey Amherstduring the French and Indian War.

The Treaty of Parisin 1763 ended the Seven Years' Warand ceded eastern New Franceto the Kingdom of Great Britain. American Revolutionistsunder General Richard Montgomerybriefly captured the city during the 1775 invasion of Canada.^[15]

Industrialized city 1889

Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832. The opening of the Lachine Canalpermitted ships to bypass the unnavigable Lachine Rapids, while the construction of the Victoria Bridgeestablished Montreal as a major railway hub. These linked the established Port of Montréalwith continental markets and spawned rapid industrializationduring the mid 1800s. The economic boom attracted French Canadianlabourers from the surrounding countryside to factories in satellite cities such as Saint-Henriand Maisonneuve. Irishimmigrants settled in tough working class neighbourhoods such as Point Saint Charlesand Griffintown, making English and French linguistic groups roughly equal in size. By 1852, Montreal had 60,000 inhabitants; by 1860, it was the largest city in British North Americaand the undisputed economic and cultural centre of Canada.

Montreal was the capital of the Province of Canadafrom 1844 to 1849, but lost its status when a Torymob burnt down the Parliament building to protest passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill.

Montreal 1959 as viewed from the mountain.

After World War I, the Prohibitionmovement in the United Statesturned Montreal into a haven for Americans looking for alcohol. Montreal became known as Sin City, due to the abundance of alcohol and burlesque shows, unrivaled in North America at this time.^[16] Unemploymentremained high in the city, and was exacerbated by the Stock Market Crash of 1929and the Great Depression. Canada began to recover from the Great Depression in the mid-1930s, when skyscrapers such as the Sun Life Buildingbegan to appear.

During World War II, Mayor Camillien Houdeprotested against conscriptionand urged Montrealers to disobey the federal government's registry of all men and women. Ottawawas furious over Houde's insubordination and held him in a prison camp until 1944, when the government was forced to institute conscription (see Conscription Crisis of 1944).

After Montreal's population surpassed one million in the early 1950s, Mayor Jean Drapeaulaid down plans for the future development of the city. These plans included a new public-transit system and an underground city, the expansion of Montreal's harbour, and the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Tall, new buildings replaced old ones in this time period, including Montreal's two tallest skyscrapers up to then: the 43-storey Place Ville-Marieand the 47-story Tour de la Bourse. Two new museumswere also built, and in 1966, the Montreal Metrosystem opened, along with several new expressways.

April 1967 aerial view of Île Sainte-Hélène on the left and Île Notre-Dame on the right, with most of the Expo 67site in view, except Habitat 67and the rest of the pavilions on la Cité du Havre. Source: the National Archives of Canada.

The city's international statuswas cemented by Expo 67and the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The mid-1970s ushered in a period of wide-ranging social and political changes, stemming in large part from the concerns of the French-Canadian majority about the conservation of their culture and language, given the traditional predominance of the English-Canadian minority in the business arena. The October Crisisand the election of the separatist political party, the Parti Québécois, resulted in major political, ethnic and linguistic shifts. The extent of the transition was greater than the norm for major urban centres, with social and economic impacts, as a significant number of (mostly anglophone) Montrealers, as well as businesses, migrated to other provinces, away from an uncertain political climate. Bill 101was passed in 1977 and gave primacy to French as Quebec's (and Montreal's) only official language for government, the main language of business and culture, and enforced the exclusive use of French for public signage and business communication.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Montreal experienced a slower rate of economic growththan many other major Canadian cities. By the late 1990s, however, Montreal's economic climate had improved, as new firms and institutions began to fill the traditional business and financial niches. As the city celebrated its 350th anniversary in 1992, construction began on two new skyscrapers : 1000 de La Gauchetièreand 1250 René-Lévesque. Montreal's improving economic conditions allowed further enhancements of the city infrastructure, with the expansion of the metro system, construction of new skyscrapers and the development of new highways including the start of a ring roadaround the island. The city also attracted several international organisations to move their secretariats into Montreal's Quartier International: IATA, ICSID, Icograda, International Bureau for Children's Rights (IBCR), International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). With developments such as Centre de Commerce Mondial (World Trade Centre), Quartier International, Square Cartier, and propsed revitalization of the harborfront, the city is regaining its international position as a world class city.

Montreal was mergedwith the 27 surrounding municipalities on the Island of Montreal on 1 January2002. The merger created a unified city of Montreal which covered the entire island of Montreal. This move proved unpopular, and several former municipalities, totalling 13% of the population of the island, voted to leave the newly unified city in separate referendumsin June 2004. The demerger took place on 1 January2006, leaving 15 municipalities on the island, including Montreal.

In 2006, the city was recognized by the international design community as a UNESCO City of Design, one of the three world design capitals. Montreal was voted the greatest city in the world to live in(www.travelersdigest.com/best_cities_live.htm - 20k)

Geography

A street in Montreal after a major snowstorm.

Montreal is located in the southwest of the province of Quebec, approximately 275 kilometres (168 miles) southwest of Quebec City, the provincial capital, and 190 kilometres (118 mi) east of Ottawa, the federalcapital. It also lies 550 kilometres (335 mi) northeast of Toronto, and 625 kilometres (380 mi) north of New York City.

The city rests on the Island of Montrealat the confluence of the Saint Lawrenceand OttawaRivers. The port of Montreal lies at one end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which is the river gateway that stretches from the Great Lakesinto the Atlantic Ocean. Montreal is bordered by the St. Lawrence river on its south side, and by the Rivière des Prairieson the north. The city is named after the most prominent geographical feature on the island, a three-head hill called Mount Royal.

Skyline of Montreal seen from Mont Royal park.

Montreal lies at the confluence of several climatic regions. Usually, the climateis classified as humid continental^[17]or hemiboreal(Köppen climate classificationDfb).

Precipitationis abundant with an average snowfallof 2.25 metres (84 in) per year in the winter. Regular rainfallthroughout the year averages 900 mm (35.3 in). Summer is the wettest season statistically, but it is also the sunniest.

The coldest month of the year is January which has a daily average temperature of −10.4 °C (13 °F) — averaging a daily low of −14.9 °C (5.2 °F), colder than either Moscow (-10 °C) or Saint Petersburg(-6 °C). Due to wind chill, the perceived temperature can be much lower than the actual temperature and wind chill factor is often included in Montreal weather forecasts. The warmest month is July which has an average daily high of 26.3 °C (79.3 °F); lower nighttime temperatures make an average of 20.9 °C (69.6 °F) thus air exchangersoften achieve the same result as air conditioners. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −37.8 °C (−36.0 °F) on 15 January1957and the highest temperature ever was 37.6 °C (99.7 °F) on 1 August1975.^[18] High humidityis common in the summer which makes the perceived temperature higher than the actual temperature. In spring and autumn, rainfall averages between 55 and 94 millimetres (2.2 and 3.7 in) a month. Some snow in spring and autumn is normal. Similarly, late heat waves as well as "Indian summers" are a regular feature of the climate.^[19]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Montreal

According to Statistics Canada, at the 2006 Canadian censusthe city of Montreal proper had 1,620,693 inhabitants.^[1] However, 3,635,571 lived in the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area(CMA) at the same 2006 census, up from 3,451,027 at the 2001 census (within 2006 CMA boundaries), which means a population growth of +1.05% per year between 2001 and 2006.^[3] In the 2001 census, children under 14 years of age (618,855) constituted 18.06 percent, while inhabitants over 65 years of age (442,720) numbered 12.92 percent of the total population. Some 13.55 percent of the population are member of a visible minority (non-white) group. Black peoplecontribute to the largest visible minority group in greater Montreal, numbering some 160,000 (4.5% of Montreal inhabitants), which is the second-largest community of Blacks in Canada, after Toronto. Other groups, such as Arabs, Latin American, South Asian, and Chineseare also large in number. (Chart on ethnicity on the left includes multiple responses^[22]

In terms of first language learned (in infancy), the 2001 census reported that on the island of Montrealitself, 53% spoke Frenchas a first language, followed by Englishat 18%. The remaining 29% percentage is made up of many languages including Italian(3.6%), Arabic(2.1%), Spanish(1.9%), Chinese(1.24%), Greek(1.21%), Creole(predominantly of Haitian origin) (1.02%), Portuguese(0.86%), Romanian(0.70%), Vietnamese(0.60%), and Polish(0.40%). In terms of additional languages spoken, a unique feature of Montreal throughout Canada, noted by Statistics Canada, is the working knowledge of both French and English by most of its residents. For this reason, it is often considered a bilingual city rather than a French speaking city.^[25]

The city of Montreal is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, however, church attendance in Quebec is among the lowest in Canada.^[26]. Historically Montreal has been a centre of Catholicism in North America with its numerous seminaries and churches, including the Notre-Dame Basilica, the Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, and Saint Joseph's Oratory. Some 84.56 percent of the total population is Christian,^[27] largely Roman Catholic(74.51%), which is largely due to French, Irish, and Italian origins. Protestantswhich include Anglican, United Church, Lutheranand other number 7.02%, while the remaining 3.03% consists mostly of Orthodox Christians, fuelled by a large Greek population. Due to the large number of non-European cultures, there is a diversity of non-Christian religions. Islamis the largest non-Christian group, with some 100,000 members, the second-largest concentration of Muslims in Canada, constituting 2.96%. The Jewishcommunity in Montreal has a population of 93,000.^[27] In cities such as Cote St. Lucand Hampstead, Jewish people constitute the majority,^[28] or a substantial part of the population. As recently as the 1960s the Jewishcommunity was as high as 130,000. Political and economic uncertainties led many to leave Montreal and the province of Quebec.

Island of Montrealin winter, as seen from space

The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equalsin the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal (English: Montreal Island Citizens Union). The city council is a democratically elected institution and is the final decision-making authority in the city, although much power is centralized in the executive committee. It consists of 73 members from all boroughsof the city. The Council has jurisdiction over many matters, including public security, agreements with other governments, subsidy programs, the environment, urban planning, and a three-year capital expenditure program. The City Council is also required to supervise, standardize or approve certain decisions made by the boroughcouncils.

Reporting directly to the City Council, the executive committee exercises decision-making powers similar to that of cabinet in a parliamentary systemand is responsible for preparing various documents including budgetsand by-laws, submitted by the City Council for approval. The decision-making powers of the executive committee cover, in particular, the awarding of contractsor grants, the management of humanand financialresources, supplies and buildings. It may also be assigned further powers by the City Council.

Standing committees are the council's prime instruments for public consultation. They are responsible for the public study of pending matters and for making the appropriate recommendations to the council and its five constituent parts. They also review the annual budget forecasts for departments under their jurisdiction. A public notice of meeting is published in both French and English daily newspapersat least seven days before each meeting. All meetings include a public question period. The standing committees, of which there are seven, have terms lasting two years. In addition, the City Council may decide to create special committees at any time. Each standing committee is made up of seven to nine members, including a chairman and a vice-chairman. The members are all elected municipal officers, with the exception of a representative of the government of Quebecon the public security committee.

The city of Montreal is only one component of the larger Communauté Métropolitaine de Montréal (English: Montreal Metropolitan Community or MMC), which is in charge of planning, coordinating, and financing economic development, public transportation, garbage collection and waste management, etc., across the metropolitan area of Montreal. The president of the CMM is the mayor of Montreal. The CMM covers 3,839 square kilometres (1,482 sq mi), with 3,635,700 inhabitants in 2005.

Montreal now constitutes its own region of Quebec.

See also: Districts of Montreal and Montreal borough

Culture

View of Montreal from McGill University

Rene-Levesque boulevard

The entrance of the Complexe Desjardins

A cultural heart of classical art and the venue for many summer festivals, the Place des Artsis a complex of different concert and theatre halls surrounding a large open-spaced square in the downtown. The Place des Arts harbours the headquarters of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra(OSM: Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal), which performs in its halls regularly. The OSM is one of the world's foremost orchestras, most remembered for the quality of its performance of the repertoire of Maurice Ravelunder conductor Charles Dutoit. Since 2006, the OSM has a new conductor, the American Kent Nagano. L'orchestre métropolitainand the chamber orchestra I Musici de Montréalare two other well-regarded Montreal orchestras. Also performing home at Place des Arts is the Opéra de Montréaland the city’s chief ballet company Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. In contemporary dance, Montreal has been active, particularly since the 80s. Internationally recognized avant-garde dance troupes such as La La La Human Steps, O Vertigo, and the Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreaulthave toured the world and worked with international popular artists on videos and concerts. The intelligent integration of multi-discipline arts in choreography of these troops has paved the way to the success of the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil.

Montreal is the cultural centre of Quebec, and of French-speaking North America as a whole. The city is Canada's centre for French language television productions, radio, theatre, film, multimedia and print publishing. The Quartier Latin is a neighbourhood crowded with cafés animated by this literary and musical activity. The local English-speaking artistic community nevertheless contributes dynamically to the culture of Montreal, and intense collaborations exist between all Montreal communities. The result is a dynamic musical scene, ignited by the presence of numerous musical festivals, that melts different musical styles and traditions. English theatre struggled but survived with the Centaur Theatre. Ethnic theatre, by the 70s, began to be a force with the Black Theatre Workshop, the Yiddish Theatre established at the Saidye Bronfman Centreand the Teesri Duniya Theatre. In the late 90s, Montreal started becoming a veritable hotspot for low-budget independent English theatre with companies such as MainLine Theatre, Gravy Bath Theatre, Sa Booge, Persephone, Pumpkin Productions, and Tableau D'Hôte Theatre warming up the once lackluster scene.

Festivals

Scotiabank(formerly Paramount) movie theatre on Sainte-Catherine Street

The plaza on Place des Arts is the home of the most important events during several musical festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festivaland Montreal Francofolies, a festival of French-speaking song artists. During the seven-to-ten days that last each of the two festivals, shows are held in a wide variety of venues, from relatively small clubs to the large halls of Place des Arts. Some of the outdoor shows are held on cordoned-off streets while others are on terraced parks. The most popular festival, in terms of attendance, is the Just For Laughs Festival. A comedy festival held in both languages, it features comedians, humourists, and stand-ups from all over the world. The Montreal Fireworks Festivalalso attracts a lot of attention. On the evenings of competition, tens of thousands of people watch the fireworks for free on their roofs or from locations nearby the competition. Other festivals in Montreal include Pop Montreal, The Fringe festival and Nujaz. Annual family-oriented events promoting health and cycling are also organized in the streets of Montreal. Parades are also popular in downtown Montreal.

The city is increasingly becoming known for its mainstream rave festivals such as the Black and Blue Festivalattracting thousands of ravers to the city every Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, as well as the Bal en Blancheld every Easter Sunday, also attracting over 15,000 attendees every year. (Both events are organized by Bad Boys Club Montréal,which raises money for HIV/AIDS-related causes and gay and lesbian community groups.)

Night life

A view of Saint Catherine Street

During the period of Prohibitionin the United States, Montreal became well-known as one of North America's "sin cities" with unparalleled nightlife, a reputation it still holds today. In part, its bustling nightlife is attributed to its relatively late "last call" (3 a.m.), and its many restaurants and after hours clubs that stay open well on into the morning. The large university population, the drinking age of 18, and the excellent public transportation system (a network of night buses, some with service every 15 minutes, replaces the metro between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m.) combine with other aspects of the Montreal culture to make the city's night life unique.

Crescent

A general view of downtown Crescent Streetwith Mont Royalin the background.

Crescent Streetis "party central" for Montreal's tourist population, lying at the edge of the Concordia Universitycampus. Throughout the summer, it features street fairs and festivals. The Formula 1Canadian Grand Prixunofficially starts off Montreal's non-stop festival season in the summer. Crescent Street also features many clubs and bars. The clientele of Crescent nightclubs and bars are mostly students, tourists and in general a younger crowd looking for exhilaration and excitement. Most venues will play Top 40 music. The nearest subway stops are Peel and Guy-Concordia.

"The Main"

Another highly notable nightlife area is Sainte-Catherine Street West between Mackay St. and Peel St. where many nightclubs, bars, restaurants, movie theatres, shopping, and strip clubs are located.

Shopping

Still standing since 1866, Ogilvy'sis a high fashion department store.

Saint Catherine Streetand the downtown area once boasted Montreal's four prominent department stores: Eaton's, Morgan's, Ogilvy's, and Simpson's. Today, only Ogilvy's remains. However, the area remains a shopping destination, with many major retailers having large stores along the streets of downtown, including Holt Renfrew, Hudson's Bay Company, Les Ailes de la Mode, Levi's, Benetton, Zara, Crabtree & Evelyn, Chapters, Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, Max Azria, Club Monaco, La Maison Simons, Archambault, fcuk, Harry Rosen Inc., La Senza, Future Shop, HMV, lululemon athletica, Parasucoand Roots. H&Mis still trying to find a proper location for it flagship store downtown. Additionally, many of Montreal's most prominent shopping complexes, including the Faubourg Sainte-Catherine, the Centre Eaton, les Cours Mont-Royal (a high fashion shopping mall), the Complexe Desjardins, the Complexe Les Ailes, Place Dupuis, Place Alexis-Nihon, Westmount Square, and Place Montreal Trustall make their home along this street.

There are many other areas in the city for shopping.

See also: List of malls in Montreal

Montreal cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Quebec

Perhaps no single contribution from the allophone communities is more perceived than in Montreal's culinary fabric. Italian, Greek, Portuguese and Jewish communities have contributed to the making up of Montreal's delicatessens and other restaurants. Jewish culinarycontributions extended to two of the world-renowned smoked meat sandwichesand Montreal style bagels. Lebanese falafels and Japanese sushi have become appreciated cuisines. This wide variety of cuisines certainly participates to the fact that Montreal is one of the cities with the most restaurants in the world. Due to all of the above, Montreal and its culinary landscape was the focus of Gourmet magazine'sMarch 2006 issue. Since its existence, the magazine has focused its attention on one city in an issue only five other times. Those issues focused on Paris, Rome, San Francisco, New York and London.

Architecture

A historical building which today holds the Montreal Banana Republicstore.

For well over a centuryMontreal was the industrial centre of Canada. The variety of buildingsincluded factories, elevators, warehouses, mills, and refinerieswhich today provide a legacy of historic and architectural interest. Habitat 67's striking design was created by architect Moshe Safdiebased on his master's thesis at McGill Universityand built as part of Expo 67. Today there are also many historical buildings in Old Montreal still in their original form: Notre-Dame Basilica, Hotel de Ville, Marche Bonsecours, Rue St. Jacques with 19th century impressive headquarters of all major Canadian banks and are some of the architectural landmarks of old Montreal. Stade Olympic 1976, Maison Alcan, 1000 de La Gauchetière Tower, Biodome, Jacques Cartier Bridge, Montreal World Trade Centre, Place Jean Riopelle and Square Cartier are among fine examples of 20th and 21st centuries architecture. The Montreal Metrois filled with a profusion of public artwork by some of the biggest names in Quebec culture. The design and ornamentation of each metro station in Montreal is unique.

Crime

Crime rate in Montreal is low and no particular area of the city is marked off as dangerous. During the late night downtown, parts of the north end of the city and a few other areas around the Mount Royal district tend to be more dangerous. Montreal usual murder rate falls between 30-40 per year but the city mostly has problems with gangs and hate crimes. Montreal's most powerful criminal organization is, arguably, the Mafia. Active in Montreal since the early 1900s, the group has been able to develop a nearly impregnable hierarchy and establish international drug networks. The Mafia, along with the predominantly Irish West End Gangand the Hells Angels, make up Montreal's "Consortium". The group determines the price of drugs, the amounts that are imported, and who it is sold to. Vito Rizzutois reputedly in control and leads an extremely powerful, secretive, and disciplined group.

Montreal has been the scene of several school shootings including the Dawson College shooting, the École Polytechnique massacreand the Concordia University massacre.

Economy

Montreal is an important centre of commerce, industry, culture, finance, and world affairs.

Tour de la Bourse(Stock Exchange Tower)

Looking up University Street

Montreal industries include aerospace, electronicgoods, pharmaceuticals, printed goods, software engineering, telecommunications, textile and apparel manufacturing, tobaccoand transportation. The service sector is also strong and includes civil, mechanical and process engineering, finance, higher education, and research and development. In 2002, Montreal ranked as 4th largest centre in North America in terms of aerospace jobs.^[29]

Montreal is a major port city along the Saint Lawrence Seaway, a deep-draft inland waterway links it to the industrial centres of the Great Lakes. It is still the largest inland port in the world. As one of the most important ports in Canada, it remains a trans-shipment point for grain, sugar, petroleumproducts, machinery, and consumer goods. For this reason, it is the railwayhub of Canada and has always been an extremely important rail city; it is the eastern terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railwayand home to the headquarters of the Canadian National Railway.

The headquarters of the Canadian Space Agencyare located in Longueuil, southeast of Montreal. Montreal also hosts the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO, a United Nationsbody); the World Anti-Doping Agency(an Olympicbody); the International Air Transport Association(IATA); the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda); the International Design Alliance (IDA); Gay and Lesbian International Chamber of Commerce, as well as some 60 other international organizations in various fields. It is also the leading Canadian city for its research output, fuelled in part by Montreal's four universities and numerous scientific research centres.

Place Ville-Marie

Montreal is also a centre of film and television production. The headquarters and five studios of the Academy Award-winning documentary producer National Film Board of Canadacan be found here, as well as the head offices of Telefilm Canada, the national feature-length film and television funding agency. Given its eclectic architecture and broad availability of film services and crew members, Montreal is a popular filming location for feature-length films, and sometimes stands in for European locations. The city is also home to many recognized cultural, film and music festivals (Just For Laughs, Montreal Jazz Festival, e.g), which contribute significantly to its economy. It is also home to one of the world's largest cultural enterprises, the Cirque du Soleil.

The video game industry is also booming in Montreal since 1997, coinciding with the opening of Ubisoft's studio in the area. As of today (2007), the city has attracted world leading game developers and publishers studios such as Ubisoft, EA, Eidos Interactive, Artificial Mind and Movement, Strategy Firstand many more, mainly because video games jobs have been heavily subsidized by the provincial government. Every year, this industry is generating billions of dollars and thousands of jobs in the Montreal area.

Alcan, Bombardier, CN, CGI Group, Air Canada, CAE, Saputo, Cirque du Soleil, Quebecor, Power Corporation, Bell Canada, SNC-Lavalin, Hydro-Quebec, Abitibi-Consolidated, National Bank of Canadaand many other corporations are headquartered in the Greater Montreal Area.

In 2006 Montreal was named UNESCOCity of Design. One of the three design capitals of the world (with Berlinand Buenos Aires). This distinguish title recognizes Montreal's design community. Since 2005 the city is also a home for the International Design Alliance and the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda).^[30]

See also: List of foreign consulates in Montreal

Sports in montreal

The Montreal Canadienswin a game at the Bell Centre.

Main article: Sport in Montreal

See also: List of Montreal parks

Hockey

The biggest sport following in Montreal clearly belongs to hockey – and the city is famous for its hockey-hungry fans. The Montreal Canadiensare one of the Original SixNHLteams, and boast the greatest number of Stanley Cupchampionships at 24 (11 more than second place Toronto). The only other team in the four majorNorth Americansports leagues to have this many titles are baseball's New York Yankees, and their 26 titles.

 Baseball

Montreal has a storied baseball history. The city was the home of the Montreal Royalsbefore Major League Baseballcame to town in the form of the Montreal Exposin 1969. They played their games at Jarry Parkuntil moving into Olympic Stadiumin 1977. After 37 years in Montreal, the team relocated to Washington, DCin 2005 and re-branded themselves as the Washington Nationals.^[31] Montreal has also been slated to have a Can-Am Leagueteam beginning in 2008 to fill the void created by the departure of the Expos.

Football

The Montreal Alouettesof the CFLdraw packed crowds at the small but picturesque Molson Stadium. University football receives increasing support, with the McGill Redmen, Concordia Stingers, and Université de Montréal's Carabinsplaying in Montreal.

Soccer

The city's USL First Divisionsoccerteam is called the Montreal Impact.

Auto Racing

Fans fill up the area every year for the Canadian Grand Prix

Montreal is the site of two high-profile racing events each year: the Canadian Grand Prix, and the ChampcarsSeries. NASCARalso made its debut on August 4, 2007 with a stop in the Busch Series. The Formula 1 and NASCAR races take place on the famous Circuit Gilles Villeneuveon Île Notre-Dame, where the Champcar series also raced from 2002 until 2006. Starting in 2007, the Grand Prix of Mont-Tremblanttook place at nearby Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

 Tennis

Stade Uniprix (Uniprix Stadium) was built in 1993 and is used for the annual Rogers Cup Tennis Masters tournament. The ATP men's tennis tour and the Sony Ericsson WTA women's tennis tour switch between Montreal and Toronto every year. (In 2007, the women's was played in Toronto, and the men's was played in Montreal)

Montreal Olympics

Olympic Stadium, in the city's eastern section.

Montreal was the host of the 1976 Summer Olympics. The Montreal Games were the most expensive in Olympic history, costing over $5 billion (equivalent to $20 billion in 2006); bad planning led to the Games' cost far exceeding the budget, and the city just finished paying the debt off in December 2006. For a time, it seemed that the Olympics might no longer be a viable financial proposition. There was also a boycott by African nations to protest against a recent tour of apartheid-run South Africaby a New Zealandrugby side. The Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneciwon the women's individual all around gold medal with two of four possible perfect scores, thus giving birth to a gymnastics dynasty in Romania. Another female gymnast to earn the perfect score and three gold medals there was Nellie Kimof the USSR.

Montreal hosted the first ever World Outgamesin the summer of 2006, attracting over 16,000 participants engaged in 35 sporting activities. They were the biggest sporting event in the city since the Summer Olympics of 1976.

The Montreal games of the FIFA2007 FIFA U-20 World Cupwere held at Olympic Stadium.^[32]

Five beaches around the island, in addition to a network of parks that include one on the Mont Royal, offer a set of recreational activities enjoyed by the local population.

Transportation

See also: Montreal roads

Montreal is a transportation hub for eastern Canada, with well-developed air, road, rail, and maritime links to the rest of Canada, as well as the United Statesand Europe.

Air

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

Montreal has two international airports, one for passenger flights only, and the other for cargo. Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport(formerly Dorval Airport, the name still used by locals) in the City of Dorvaland in the Montreal boroughof Saint-Laurentserves all commercial passenger traffic and is the headquarters for Air Canadaand Air Transat. To the north of the city is Montreal-Mirabel International Airportin Mirabel, which was envisioned as Montreal's primary airport but which now serves only cargo flights. In 2006, Montreal-Trudeau was the third busiest airport in Canada. It handled 11,434,070 passengers^[33] and almost 275 000 aircraft movements ^[34] in 2007, which ranks it 3rd only to Toronto-Pearsonand Vancouver International Airport. Trudeau airport serves over 100 destinations worldwide making it one of the most connected airports in North America. Airlines servicing Trudeau offer flights to Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the United States, Mexicoand other destinations within Canada. It is the only Canadian airport that offers non-stop service to Africaand it also contains the second largest duty free shop in North America.^{[citation needed]}

Other airports in the Montreal areaserve military and regional use....

Rail

VIA Rail, which is headquartered in Montreal, provides several rail services to other cities in Canada, particularly to Quebec Cityand Torontowith several trains daily. Amtrak, the U.S. national passenger rail system also provides service to Montreal, operating its Adirondackdaily between Montreal and New York City. Most trains operate out of Gare Centrale.

Montreal's McGill Metro Station.

Public local transport is served by a network of buses, subways, and commuter trains that extend across and off the island. The subway and bus system is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal. The commuter railsystem is managed and operated by the Agence métropolitaine de transport, and extends across several municipalities.

Canadian Pacific Railway, which is now headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, was founded here in 1881. Its corporate headquarters occupied Windsor Station at 910 Peel St. until 1995. With the Port of Montreal kept open year round by icebreakers, lines to Eastern Canada became surplus, and now Montreal (St-Luc) is the railway's eastern and intermodal freight terminus. CPR connects at Montreal with the Port of Montreal, the Delaware & Hudson Railway to New York, the Quebec-Gatineau Railway to Quebec City and Buckingham, the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic to Halifax, and the CNR. The CPR's flagship train, The Canadian, once ran daily from Windsor Station to Vancouver, all passenger services have since been transferred to VIA Rail Canada, although CPR operates certain AMT trains under contract to the Quebec government.

Canadian National Railways, was formed during the 1920's by the Government of Canada following a series of country-wide rail bankrupties, is headquartered in Montreal. Formed from the lines of the Grand Trunk, Midland and Canadian Northern Railways, CNR has risen to become CPR's chief rival in freight carriage in Canada. Like the CPR, CNR has divested itself of passenger services in favour of VIA Rail Canada. CNR operates the electric Mont Royal AMT line under contract to the Government of Quebec.

Bus and Metro

The STMbus network consists of 169 daytime and 20 night-time service routes, and provides adapted transport and limited wheelchair-accessible buses.

Metropolitain entrance to Square-Victoria stationby Hector Guimard.

Each station of the Montreal Metrowas designed by different architects with individual themes and features original artwork, and the trains themselves run on rubber tires, making the system quieter than most. It has 68 stations spread out along four lines. It was inaugurated in 1966 and completed in time for Expo 67. The project was initiated by Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau, who also brought the Olympics to Montreal in 1976. The metro system has long had a station on the South Shore in Longueuil, and has recently been extended to the city of Laval, north of Montreal.

Road

Like many major cities, Montreal has a problem with vehiculartraffic congestion, especially from off-island suburbssuch as Lavalon Île Jésus, and Longueuilon the southeastern shore. The width of the Saint Lawrence Riverhas made the construction of fixed links to the southeastern shore expensive and difficult. Accordingly, there are only four road bridges(plus one road tunnel, two railwaybridges, and a metroline), whereas the far narrower Rivière des Prairiesis spanned by eight road bridges (six to Lavaland two to the north shore).

Jacques Cartier Bridge.

The island of Montreal is a hub for the Québec Autoroutesystem, and is served by Québec Autoroutes A-10(aka the Bonaventure Expressway on the island of Montreal), A-15(aka the Decarie Expressway south of the A-40 and the Laurentian Autoroute to the north of it), A-13(aka Autoroute Chomedey), A-20, A-25, A-40(part of the Trans-Canada Highwaysystem, and known as "The Metropolitan" or simply "The Met" in its elevated mid-town section), A-520, and A-720(aka the Ville-Marie Autoroute). Many of these Autoroutes are frequently congested at rush hour. However, in recent years, the government has acknowledged this problem and is working on long-term solutions to alleviate the congestion, such as re-routing traffic and expanding lanes. (Osirus Azer, "Montreal's Traffic Problems", 2006)

Since Montreal is on an island, the directions used in the city plan do not precisely correspond with compassdirections, as they are oriented to the geography of the island. North and south are defined on an axis roughly perpendicularto the St. Lawrence River and the Rivière des Prairies: North is towards the Rivière des Prairies, and south is towards the St. Lawrence. East and west directions are defined as roughly parallelto the St. Lawrence River (which flows southwest to northeast) and the Rivière des Prairies. East is downstream, and west is upstream.

Saint Lawrence Boulevard, also known as "The Main," divides Montreal into east and west sectors. Streets that cut across Saint Laurent Boulevard undergo a name change, in that Est (East) or Ouest (West) are appended to their names. Streets that do not cross the Main do not generally contain a cardinal directionat the end of their names. Address numbering begins in either direction at one (1) at Saint Laurent Boulevard, increasing in both directions away from the boulevard. On north-south streets, house numbers begin at the Saint Lawrence Riverand the Lachine Canaland increase to the north. Odd numbers are on the east or north sides of the street, with even numbers on the west or south sides. Numbered streets generally run north and south, and the street numbers increase to the east.

Montreal's roads are notorious for their poor state. Avoiding potholes has become a way of life for Montreal drivers.

Further information: List of bridges in Montreal

Cycling

Montreal has a well developed network of bicycle paths.^[35] Bike rentals are available at the Old Port of Montreal, as well as quadricycles, inline skates, children trailers, and segways.

Education

Main article: Education in Montreal

Université de Montréal, Roger-Gaudry pavilion

McGill University, Arts Building

McGillStudent Housing on University street.

With access to six universities and twelve junior colleges in an 8 kilometre (5 mi) radius, Montreal has the highest concentration of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America (4.8 students per 100 residents, followed by Boston at 4.7 students per 100 residents).

There are currently 248,000 students enrolled in post-secondary education in Montreal, one of the highest numbers in the world. There are roughly 240,000 pre-CEGEP/University level students in Montreal which means ~500,000 Montrealers currently attend school.

English-language elementary and secondary public schools in the Greater Metropolitan Montréal Area are operated by the English Montreal School Board^[36]and the Lester B. Pearson School Board.^[37] French-language elementary and secondary public schools in Montreal are operated by the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM),^[38] Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys (CSMB)^[39]and the Commission scolaire Pointe-de-l'Île (CSPI).^[40]

The education system in the province of Quebec is slightly different from other systems in North America. Between the High School and University levels, there is an additional college level called "CEGEP". It is at the same time a preparatory school (preparing students for admission at the University) and a technical school (offering courses which lead to technical diplomas and specializations). In Montréal, 17 CEGEPs offer courses in French and 5 in English.

See also: List of CEGEPs

Places in Montreal

Main article: Places in Montreal

Evening skyline

Place d'Armes and Notre Dame Basilica in winter

Downtown Montreal

Downtown Montreal lies at the foot of Mount Royal, much of which is a major urban park, and extends toward the St Lawrence River. The Downtown area contains dozens of notable skyscrapers— which, bylaws restrict to the height of Mount Royal — including the aforementioned 1000 de La Gauchetièreand 1250 René-Lévesque. The Tour de la Bourse (Stock Exchange Tower) is also another significant building in Montreal, and is home to the Montreal Exchange, which trades in derivatives such as futures contracts and options. The Montreal Exchange was the first stock exchange in Canada. In 1999 all stock trades were transferred to Torontoin exchange for exclusivity in derivatives trading.

Place Ville-Marie, an I. M. Pei-designed cruciformoffice tower built in 1962, sits atop an underground shopping mall that forms the nexus of Montreal's underground city, the world's largest, with indoor access to over 1,600 shops, restaurants, offices, businesses, museums and universities, as well as metro stations, train stations, bus terminals, and tunnels extending all over downtown. The central axis for downtown is Saint Catherine Street, Canada's busiest commercial artery. Other major streets include Sherbrooke, René-Lévesque, Peel, de la Montagne, de Maisonneuve and Crescent. The Montreal Skyline panorama includes two islands, Île Ste. Hélène and Ile Notre-Dame. The Notre Dame island hosts the Canadian Grand Prix and Formula One car races, as well as the Champ Car tournament. La Rondeis the biggest amusement park in Montreal and is located on Île Ste. Hélène. The Montreal Fireworks Festivalis held there every summer.park

The Ville-Marie borough is arguably the heart and soul of the city. Its vitality is extraordinary and it is constantly bubbling over with arts, culture, recreational and business activities. Ville Marie sector is composed of downtown financial hub, vieux port, square cartier residential district, quartier international, le village and quartier Latin.

The basic Skyline view may be seen from one of two lookouts on Mount Royal. The lookout at the Belevedere takes in downtown, the river, and the Montérégien Hills, and on clear days the Adirondack Mountainsof Upstate New Yorkor the Green Mountainsof Vermontare visible. The view of eastern lookout on Remembrance Rd. sweeps out toward the Olympic Stadium, and beyond. Many tourists visit these lookouts.

Underground City

Halles de la gare, going from Gare centraleto Place Ville-Marie

Main article: Underground city, Montreal

Extending all over downtown is Montreal's Underground City(French: La ville souterraine), a set of pedestrian levels built to cross under streets, thereby connecting buildings to each other. It is also known as the indoor city (ville intérieure), as not all of it is underground. The connections are considered tunnels architecturally and technically, but have conditioned air and good lighting as any building's liveable space does. Many tunnels are large enough to have shops on both sides of the passage. With over 32 kilometres (20 mi) of tunnels spread over more than twelve square kilometres(5 sq mi), connected areas include shopping malls, hotels, banks, offices, museums, universities, seven metrostations, two commuter train stations, a regional bus terminaland the Bell Centreamphitheatre and arena. There are more than 120 exterior access points to the underground city. Each access point is an entry point to one of 60 residential or commercial complexes comprising 3.6 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) of floor space, including 80% of all office space and 35% of all commercial space in downtown Montreal. In winter, some 500,000 people use the underground city every day. Because of its Underground City, Montreal is often referred to as "Two Cities in One."

Mount Royal

A panorama taken from the Chalet du Mont Royalat the top of Mount Royal.

The mountain is the site of Mount Royal Park (officially Parc du Mont-Royal), one of Montreal's largest greenspaces. The park, most of which is wooded, was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park, and inauguratedin 1876.

Another panoramic photograph from the top of Mount Royal, in the daytime.

The park contains two belvederes, the more prominent of which is the Kondiaronk Belvedere, a semicircular plaza with a chalet, overlooking downtownMontreal. Other features of the park are Beaver Lake, a small man-made lake; a short skislope; a sculpture garden; Smith House, an interpretive centre; and a well-known monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier. The park hosts athletic, tourist, and cultural activities.

The mountain is also home to two major cemeteries, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (founded in 1854) and Mount Royal (1852). Mount Royal Cemeteryis a 165 acre (668,000 m²) terraced cemeteryon the north slope of Mount Royalin the borough of Outremont. Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is much larger, predominantly French-Canadian and officially Catholic^[42]. More than 900,000 people are buried there.

Mount Royal Cemetery contains more than 162,000 graves and is the final resting place for a number of notable Canadians. It includes a veterans section with several soldiers who were awarded the British Empire's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross. In 1901 the Mount Royal Cemetery Company established the first crematorium in Canada.

The name of the city of Montreal derives from mont Réal, an orthographicvariant introduced either in French, or by an Italianmap maker ("Mount Royal" is monte Reale in Italian). The name had been unofficially applied to the city, formerly Ville-Marie, by the 18th century.

Cross on top of Mount Royal, at night

The first crosson the mountain was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of the city, in fulfilment of a vow he made to the Virgin Marywhen prayingto her to stop a disastrous flood. Today, the mountain is crowned by a 31.4 m (103 ft) high illuminated cross, installed in 1924 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptisteand now owned by the city. It was converted to fibre-opticlight in 1992. The new system can turn the lights red, blue, or purple, the last of which is used as a sign of mourning between the death of the Pope and the election of the next. (This operation was previously accomplished by changing all the light bulbs.)

Old Montreal

A street in Old Montreal.

Just southeast of downtown is Old Montreal(French: Vieux-Montréal), a historic area with such attractions as the Old Port, Place Jacques-Cartier, City Hall, the Marché Bonsecours, Place d'Armes, Pointe-à-Callière Museum, and the Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica.

Montreal is known for contrast between old and new architecture. Architecture and cobbled streets in Old Montreal have been maintained or restored to keep the look of the city in its earliest days as a settlement, and horse-drawn calècheshelp maintain that image. Old Montreal is accessible from the downtown core via the underground cityand is served by several STMbus routes and metro stations, ferries to the South Shore and a network of bicycle paths.

Old Montreal was once a worldwide port, but shipping has been moved further east to a new, bigger location site, leaving the Old Port as a historical area. It is now the biggest container port in North America. The riverside area of Old Port(French: Vieux-Port), adjacent to Old Montreal, is now a recreational and historical area maintained by Parks Canada.

Religious sanctuaries

Saint Joseph's Oratoryis the largest church in Canada.

Nicknamed "la ville aux cent clochers" (the city of a hundred belltowers), Montreal is renowned for its churches. As described by Mark Twain, "This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window." The city has four Roman Catholicbasilicas: Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, the aforementioned Notre-Dame Basilica, St. Patrick's Basilica, and Saint Joseph's Oratory. The Oratory is the largest church in Canada, with the largest dome of its kind in the world after that of Saint Peter's Basilicain Rome.

Other well-known churches include the pilgrimage church of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Secours, which is sometimes called the Sailors' Church, and the AnglicanChrist Church Cathedral, which was completely excavated and suspended above an excavated pit during the construction of part of the Underground City. All of the above are major tourist destinations, particularly Notre-Dame and the Oratory.

An impressive number of other churches, synagogues and mosques can be found, and church steeples are a familiar view all over the city and island.

Neighbouring municipalities

		Montreal East, Laval, Repentigny
	Sainte Anne de Bellevue L'Île-Perrot Vaudreuil-Dorion,	Montreal	Longueuil, Saint-Lambert
		Kahnawake, Brossard, Ste-Catherine, St-Constant